Gun Shy

I hate thinking all conspiracy theory style but...well, there's another shooting here in Jersey. As I write, there is an incident at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J. No one knows why yet. Police have the place surrounded and they look like the they're in for a long night.

This situation concerns me. Not because I shop there frequently, which I do. Not because I go there to watch movies at the theater at the mall, which I do. I'm not even concerned about copycats! What worries me is that this is going to be used as fodder for stricter gun control law demands from the pundits. That, in turn, will trickle down to the bobble-headed, talking sheep that repeat everything said pundits and politicians tell them is good for them. That is what scares me.

We as a society need to get past the notion that people who carry guns are up to no good. First of all, I know people who are unarmed that sometimes look like they're up to something shady so being armed is no guarantee
of a nefarious person. Moreover, if AND when I decide to legally purchase a firearm, I don't want to be perceived as a criminal merely because I was intelligent enough to invest in a tool that may one day save my life and/or the lives of others around me.

What unnerves me is that I was at that mall not two days ago, shopping with my Goddaughter. Anyone who knows me even in the slightest knows that she is my world. When events like this unfold, one can't help but fill up their minds with worse-case scenarios and ludicrous chaos theories on what could have happened if one was put in that position. I shudder at the thought. I truly do! I was serious when I said I never wanted to put my finger on a trigger ever again after I left the U.S. Marine Corps those many years ago and I have been content in telling myself that I live in a safe enough neighborhood that I don't need to buy a firearm. However, nothing could be further from the truth. We're never going to be truly safe. Merely safer. So, instead of taking away everyone's guns, how about we put one in the hands of every man and woman that is physically and mentally capable of wielding one? Truth be told, that may actually cut down on these public shootings considering that criminals won't be able to plan for that many people potentially being armed and prepared to defend themselves.

Le sigh.

Going back to what was initially scaring me about this shooting at the mall, they're gonna use this as yet another stepping stone to take our guns. Maybe that's been the plan all along? Ever wonder about that?
Maybe you're just thinking I'm talking out of my ass. Perhaps you are right. Hell! I'm almost certain no one will read this but, if you are, in fact, reading this and understanding my logic, twisted as it may be, know that there is reasoning behind my words. Seriously. Do you truly trust your government to have all the guns? How quickly do you think they'd institute martial law and burn the Constitution? In a day? Or will they wait out the week? UGH! See? Sounds all conspiracy theory but, even if you don't agree, just keep that in the back of you're head.

Wow! They're still reporting it on the news. This is gonna go on all morning long. What's worse...THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE SHOOTERS yet! (at the time of this blog post) Now the news stations have to figure out a way to fill in the moments as they wait for official confirmation from appointed officials. Enter the eyewitnesses who saw everything and the so-called "experts" on criminal behavior, etc. Ironically, this little tedium between searching for the criminal and the criminal's capture is enough to make me want to purchase a gun for an entirely different reason than self-defense. Sheesh! At least when this happened in the movie Die Hard, there was a little comedic value when this type of journalistic milieu was prompted.